Learning about riparian plants

COFFS Harbour City Council and Coffs Harbour Regional Landcare will be running a free Riparian Plant Identification Workshop, as part of the Coffs Jaliigirr Project, for community members on May 8 at Upper Orara Hall.

The aims of the Coffs Jaliigirr Project are to restore, manage and improve the environment for aquatic systems, bird, animal and plant life, and the community. Coffs Harbour City Council, Coffs Harbour Regional Landcare, Coffs Harbour Local Aboriginal Land Council and the Northern Rivers Catchment Management Authority are partners in the project.

Riparian zones - the thin strip of vegetation that lies next to a watercourse - are an important factor in biodiversity because they are home to a high number of plant species and can often be the only vegetation in some areas.

Riparian vegetation also provides many advantages to both the landholder and the broader community. Streamside vegetation stabilises river banks and helps prevent erosion and the loss of productive agricultural land. The vegetation also acts as a biological filter, which helps improve water quality in the water catchment by removing excess nutrients.

Due to the impact of floods and disturbance from stock, stream banks are often highly degraded. Many weed species thrive under these conditions and exotic species can frequently outnumber native species.

At the workshop, participants will learn how to identify some of the common native and introduced riparian shrubs, trees and vines that occur in the Coffs area.

The workshop will be held from 9.30am-12.30pm at Upper Orara Hall, on the corner of Dairyville Rd and Upper Orara Rd on May 8. To book your place, call Council on 02 6648 4641.

The Northern Rivers Catchment Management Authority and the Australian Government's Biodiversity Fund are providing funding for the Coffs Jaliigirr Project.